Speed-changing mechanism for graphophones.



F. P. MURDOGK. SPEED CHANGING MECHANISM FOR GBAPHOPHONES. .APRLIOATION FILED MAR-19, 1909.

927,809; Patented July 13,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ilk/46 P. F. MURDOGK. SPEED CHANGING MECHANISM FOR GBAPHOPHONES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAB-19, 1909.

4 I 7 VII ,the machine.

UNITED STATES PATENT onmon FREDERICK F; MUBDOCK, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORKQ SPEED-CHANGING MECHANISM FOR GRAPHOIHONES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pat-.ented liul 13, 1909.

Application filed March 19, 1909. Serial No. 484,343.

This invention relates to improvements inspeedch anging mechanism for graphophones, and has for its object. to provide an additional attachment or mechanism, by means of which both the old and the new machines may be readily adapted to pla what is commonly lmown as .t e' standar two minute record, and also a new four. minute record which has recently been produced.

The mvention relates particularly to improvements in the devices shown and described inmy pending application, filed Jan. 25, 1909, Serial No. 473,963.

The present invention consists of the features-and parts set; forth in the detail description which follows, and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure l'is a side elevation ofa graphophone, showing the location and arrangement of the principal parts of my invention; also showing a portion of the old and new records. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a sectional view 0:11- line 44 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional View on line 55 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a part end elevation showing the'manner of throwinglphe auxiliary train of gears out of mesh.

the accompanying drawings, 2 represents the case or box, in which a spring mo tor or other mechanism for driving a graphophone is disposed. 7

3 represents the body of the machine which is mounted upon the top of the case or box 2. 4 re resents a pulley mounted upon a shaft 5, the atter being journaled in the body 3, on the opposite end of which is mounted a taperingcylinder 6 which carries the record. Pulley 4 is driven by a belt 7-, which passes downwardly into'the case and connects with the motor or other source of power. In a eavitylin the front end of body 2 is disposed the usual train of spur gears employed for playing the old two minute records.

9 represents the smaller gear of the tram, whichis' loosely mounted upon the shaft 5, and meshes with an idler gear 10 mounted on a screw or stud 11, supported by the body 2. Gear 10 meshes with a third gear 12, WhlOll is mounted upon and operates what is called the amber shaft 13. The idler 10 also meshes with a fourth gear 14 which is mounted upon a' feed shaft 15, which supports and calries the sound box or reproucer, needles, horn and other parts.

On all of the graphophones, so far as known to me, the outer end of shaft 5 is threaded and rojects beyond the record pulley 4, to whic a common nut (not shown) is applied and employed for holding the inner hub of pulley 4 tightly against gear 9, and by this means the said gear is rotated with said pulley and said shaft, and drives the gears 10, 12' and 14. In the old machines the nut referred to, is always maintained in its'tightened position except when the machine is being taken apart. In the present invention this old nut is removed from shaft 5, and a thumb-nut 16 substituted, the oflice of which will later be described.

The speed changing mechanism embodying my improvement consists of an auxiliary train of spur gears desi natedby the numerals 17, 18 and 19, all of which are referably mounted on the front end of the ody 2, as shown. The gear 17, which is preferably the same size and has the same number of teeth as the gear'9, is mounted upon shaft 5, and positively driven thereby, by means of a key or spline 20. The gear 17 is spaced from the gear 9 by a collar 21, loosely journaled on shaft 5. The collar having an outwardly extending hub which receives and forms a ivotal bearing for an operatin lever 22. ear 17 is constantly in mesh with the idler gear 19, which is journaled on the outer face of lever 22, by means of a screw or stud 23. Gears 17, 18 and 19'are all disposed in the same plane, and gear19 is so positioned that it may be thrown into mesh with the gear 18, by the raising of lever 22 to the position shown in Fig. 2, or it may be thrown out of mesh with gear 18, by the shifting of lever 22 to the position shownin Fig. 6. Gear 18 is rigidly secured to the outer end of the feed shaft 15, and operateswith said shaft the same as the old gear 14. The arrows in Fig. 2show the direction of travel of the gears of both trains.

The lever 22 preferably lies flat against the.

face of the machine, and is provided with a handle 24, which rejects past the rcar s1de of the machine. ever 22 is also provided turnjabout two and one-half times in order torotate the feed gear 14 and shaft 15 once.

with an n wardly extending arm 25, which is perforate to receive the screw or stud 11, which is utilized for holding the lever in place, and the screw should be set tight enough, so that its head ma exert sufiicie'nt frictional tension to hold t e lever in either its upper or lowerp'osition. The perforation in the Under this arrangement the working parts are 0 eratedin proper time and at the right spee for laying the coarse two minute rec,- ords, whic are provided with about one hundred threads or turns per inch. The new.

four minute records have a finer threading, about two hundred threads per inch, and inorder to adapt either the old or new machines for playing t e new, as well as, the old records, it is necessary to rovide an additional gearing by means of which the normal speed of the machine may be' reduced substantially one.- half." In the] resent device this reduction is accomplished y roviding the gear 18 with about five times t e number of teeth carried by the gear 17, as com ared with two and one-half times that num er of teeth as carried by the gear 14.

In assembling the parts of the machine,

the gear 9 is placed in position on the shaft 5,

thereon, and the 001- being loosely journale lar 21 is next placed in osition. The collar also being loose on sai shaft. Gear 17 is next placed on the shaft, it having -a key-way to engage the key 20, by means of which this gear is driven. The. ulley'4 is then mounted on shaft 5 and he (1 in-place by a in 27'.

And lastly the thumb-nut 16 is aplie to the threadedouter end of shaft 5. nder this disposition and arrangement ofv the parts re- ,ferred to,

the. tightening up of the thumbnut 16 forces the pulley 4, the the collar 21 inwardly, and the made to bear sufliciently hard against the gear9will effect the ositive' driving of said gear, and through it ,t e several other gears,

as 10, 12 and 14. This is the condition of the parts, .and the manner of adjusting them for playing the old two minute records.

To readjust the gearing of a machine having my speed changing parts applied, the operator should first unscrew the thumb-nut 16, so as to relax the tension between the collar 21 and gear 9, and allow said parts to play idly upon shaft 5. He should next lift the lever 22 from the position shown in Fi 6, to the position slfown in Fig. 2, i 'hich wil effect the meshing of gear 19 with gear 18. The

gear 17 whichis keyed to shaft 5 will then drive gear-19, and the latter will drive gear 18, which is mounted rigidly upon the feed gear 17 andatter when shaft 15. The gear 18 being relatively twice the diameter of gear 14, will require double the number of turns of the driving gear 17 to rotate it once, orin other words, to reduce the speed of the'feed shaft 1.4, to correspond with the finer threading of the new four minute records, hereinbefore explained. Thus when thumb-nut 16 is loosened and lever 22 is raised to connect gears 19 and 18 (see Fig. '2) my'new train of gears do all'the, work of feedingthe reproducing parts at the-reduced speed required, while the old train of gears work idly. On theother hand, when the nut 16 is tightened up, and the lever 22 is shifted to. its lower position, to break the mesh between the gears 18 and gears 9, 10, 12 and 14 become'the positive drivers for the feed arts, and operate them at the old or normafrate of speed.

The usual sound box 28 is adjustably reproducing 19, the old train oi mounted on shaft 15, and other-well-known'" parts as the amber wheel (not shown) and-the wei ht '29 are carried and opthe sha t 13.. "The usual stylus erated by support 30 is also shown, and carries a coarse gg-r and a-fine stylus, as 31 and 32'respectivel The coarse stylus is for operating on the 0 (IV record 33, while the fine stylus is for thenewi record 34, and 35 represents a handknob and rod employed for manipulating the styluses,

39 represents a shield for the gear 18 which" may be applied screws 40.

' In many of the smaller and cheaper grades of graphophones, the driving belt-is applied in any suitable manner as by 1, the pulley 4 is omitted, and the amber shaft 13 and the gear ,12 are also omitted. In all such machines, my new train of gears,

17, 18 and 19, and also lever 22, may be em-. ployed for reducing the speed of the old. mechanism, for adapting the same for playing the four minute records, the same as for the salne time enga es gears 10 and14, while the raising'of the ever will disconnect the latter and connect the former.

.I claim as new and desire to secure'by 'Letj, ters Patent, is- I w 1 Having thus described my invention,- h t-- 1. In a graphophone, the combination" with a record and an operating mechanism therefor, and a reproducing stylus and-a feed mechanism therefor, the 1 said mechanism a tram of gears timed for playing two minutelrecords, of an aux comprising standard iliary train of spur gears,'one of.said: gears carried by the record operating shaft and positively driven thereby, the" second gear 1001 direct to the cylinder 6, as shown at 37, Fig.

. gears carried by the recor carried by the feed shaft, and a third gear comprising an idler adapted for operatively connecting the first and'second gears for reducing the speed of the feed mechanism'for playing a four minute record, and a lever pivot'a ly mounted on said record shaft adapted for shifting said third gear into or out of mesh with said second gear.

2. In a graphophone, the combination with a record and an operating mechanism therefor, and a reproducing stylus and a feed mechanism therefor, the said mechanism comprising a train of gears timed for playing standard two minute records, of.

an auxiliary train of spur ears, one of said operating shaft and positively driven thereby, the second gear carried by the feed shaft,- and a third gear comprising an idler adapted for *operatively connecting the first and second ears for reducing the s eed of the feed mec anism for playing a our minute record, and a nut carried by the record shaft adapted for adjusting the s eed of the reproducing arts fog playing eit er along or a standar recor 3. Aspeed changingmechanismforgraphophones, comprising an auxiliary train of gears, one of said gears carried by the record operating Harts of the machine, a second gear carrie by the reproducing parts of the machine, and a third gear, bein an idler, adapted for making or breaking t e drivin connection between said first and secon gear, a lever operatively supporting said idler gear, and a nut carried by the record operating parts adapted to cooperate with said lever and said gears for inceasing or decreas-- ing the speed of the machine.

4. A speed changing gearing for graphophones, comprising a pair of spur-gears of unequal size, the smaller of said gears being mounted on the record shaft, .the larger of said gears being mounted on the reproducing feed shaft, the relative difference between said gears bein sufficient to reduce the normal speed of t e machine approximately one-half, thereby to adapt said machine for playing a four minute record,,an

idler gear to operatively connect said large gear with saidsmall gear, and a lever' pivoted to therecord shaft capable of making and breakin and said large ear.

5. A speed phones, comprising a pair of s ur-gears of unequal size, the smaller of said gears bein mounted on the record shaft, the larger 0 said gears being mounted on the reproducing feed shaft, the relative difference between said gears bein y sufficient to reduce the normal speed of the machine ap roximately one-half, thereby to adapt sai machine for playing a four minute record, an

idler gear to operatively connect said large large ear, and

the connection between said small dliang'ing gearing for graphoand said small gear, a lever pivoted to the record shaft capableof making and breaking between said small and said a thumb-nut carried by said recor shaft for adjusting the machine for playing records ofdifferent length.

6. In a graphophone, the combination with a record and an operating mechanism therefor, and a reproducmg stylus and a feed mechanism therefor, the said mechanisms being normally geared for playing standard two minute records, of a pair of spur-gears of unequal size one carried by said record operatin r mechanism, the other carried by said fee mechanism, the relative difference in the size of said gears being sufficient to reduce thetravel of the stylus a proximately one-half, thereby to adapt sai machine for the connection playing a four minute record, an idler gear to connect said spur-gearsbeing constantly in mesh with one of said s ur-gears, and a handlever to su port said idler gear, the said lever capable of throwing gear into or out of mesh with the second spurear.

7. n a graphophone,the combination with a record and an operating mechanism there for, and a reproducing stylus and a feed mechanism therefor, the said mechanisms be ing normally geared for playing standard two mlnute records, of a pair of reducing gears of unequal size, one earned by said record 0 erating mechanism, the other carried by sai feed mechanism, the difference in the size of said gears being sufficient to reduce the travel of the feed mechanism approximately one-half, thereby to adapt said machine for playing a four minute'record, an idler gear to connect said reducing gears being constantly in mesh with the smaller of said gears, a lever to support said idler gear, the said lever capable of throwing said idler gear into or out of mesh with the larger reducing gear, and a nut car ried by the record operating mechanism.

ada ted to control the changing of the speed of tfie feed mechanism.

8. A graphophone having a shaft adapted for carrying records of different'length, and a shaft for carrying and feeding the reproducing parts, and having a train of gears connectlng the said shafts, one of said gears mounted loosely'on the record shaft, and one of said gears mounted rigidly on the feeding shaft, a ulley for'driving said record shaft, a. source'o power, a belt .connecting said source of power with said recordlpulley, a reduction gearing comprising a sma gear ke ed'to the record shaft and a large gear ri id y secured to the end of the feed shaft, 9. co ar disposed between the gears on said record shaft, a nut mounted on the end of the record shaft adapted for frictionally connecting the first named gear to said record shaft, an idler gear to connect said reduction gears, anda lever to support said idler gear, the said lever arsaid idler ranged to hold said idler gear constantly in mesh with said small gear, and adapted to make or break the driving connection between said smalland said large gear, for changing the speed of there reducing parts from ,IlQLmaltoa lowerspee and vice versa.

of graphophones, comprising a. small gear and a arge ge'ar operatively connected by an idler gear, the small gear keyed to the record shaft of the machine, the large gear mounted upon the feed shaft of the machine,

' ating-lever pivoted to the record shaft, the

comprisinga gear mounted on the record shaft, anda second gear mounted on the feed shaft, a lever pivoted tosaid record shaft, an

- in presence of two witnesses.

idler gear mounted on said lever in position to be held constantly in mesh with the gear on the record shaft, and also adapted to mesh with the gear on said feed shaft by the operation of said lever.

an 0per-- 11. A graphophone having a record bearing and o crating shaft, and a pulley for driving said s aft, and' having a train of gearsfor operating the reproducing parts, one of said gears mounted upon the record shaft, and a second gear carried by a feed shaft, in combination with a motor connected with said pulley of a reductiongearing comprising a gear keyed to the record shaft, and a gear mounted on the feed shaft, an idler gear to connect said gears .when a four minute record is to be played, a lever pivoted to the' record shaft, the said lever supportiiig said idler gear, and adapted for shifting'said idler gear into and out of mesh withthe gear on said feed shaft, and a nut carried by the record shaft adapted when tightened u .to cause the feed shaft to be operated at a "ast s eed for )laying two minute records, an( 4 when ioosened to permit the said reduction gearing to operate said feed shaft at a slower speed for playing four minute records.

In testimonywhereof I afilx my signature FREDERICK F.

VVitnesses'. 1

WM. C. ANDERSON,

HARRY DE WALLACEJJ MURDOCK. 

